IMC IN VFR FLT DURING A NIGHT OP ALLOWS PVT PLT TO MAKE AN UNAUTH PENETRATION OF CLASS B AIRSPACE.
Synopsis
IMC IN VFR FLT DURING A NIGHT OP ALLOWS PVT PLT TO MAKE AN UNAUTH PENETRATION OF CLASS B AIRSPACE.
Narrative
PROB CAUSED BY MASSIVE RADIO FAILURE; INCLUDING COM RADIOS AND NAV RADIOS. ON JAN/XX/95 FINISHED REPLACEMENT OF ALL RADIOS. RECENTLY PURCHASED ACFT. ON FEB/XX/95 FLEW ACFT FROM SJC TO SQL. CHKED ALL RADIOS AND NAVS. ALL OK. ON FEB/XX/95 DECIDED TO GO FOR A FLT AT NIGHT. CALLED AUTOMATIC WX RPTING SYS. CALLED FOR VFR; HOWEVER; RPT WAS OLD. SINCE I AM INST RATED; I WASN'T TOO WORRIED. SQL ATIS WAS VFR. I TOOK OFF SQL NBOUND TO OVERFLY SFO; TO SAU. CALLED CTR; RECEIVED SQUAWK ENTERED CLOUD LAYER INADVERTENTLY; CLBED THROUGH IT ON TOP OF LAYER. I NOTICED VERY BAD RECEPTION OF ATC AND NOTICED ALL VOR FLAGS OFF; TUNED ON SFO VOR; DEAD TOO CHKED FOR AUDIO ON VORS; THEY WERE WORKING; BUT NO RECEPTION. I NOTICED 30 DEGS OFF ON DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE COMPARED TO COMPASS. CALLED CTR; NO ANSWER; ON RADIO #2. THE XMITTER DID NOT ENGAGE WHEN KEYED ON COM #1 MY VOICE SOUNDED GARBLED. AFTER SWITCHING AND TRYING; I GOT COM 1 TO XMIT; WITH RECEPTION ON COM II (BAD RECEPTION). I COMMUNICATED MY PLIGHT TO ATC. I WAS NOT SURE IF THEY CLRED ME IN CLASS B. NO NAV WAS OPERATING; I HAD NO IDEA OF MY PRECISE LOCATION. (I DID HAVE A BATTERY OPERATED GPS WITH ME; HOWEVER; WHICH I TURNED ON NOW) ATC TOLD ME ALL WAS IFR IN BAY AREA; PROPOSED ASR APCH INTO SFO; OR SEE IF LIVERMORE WAS VFR. VECTORED TO LIVERMORE; WHICH WAS MARGINAL; BUT COMPLETED LNDG. CAUSE: INADEQUATE WX BRIEFING; TOO HVY IFR FOR UNPROVEN AND INADEQUATELY CHKED RADIO INSTALLATION.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.